Exiting Costco While Black

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, give it up. It's depressingly predictable the way many white people will firmly deny the possibility of racial prejudice, just because it doesn't comport with THEIR experience. What you observed sounds like racism, and possibly stemmed from some kind of management directive. I'm not sure what I would do either, but good for you for picking up on this and being properly aghast.

Yes, I love how on posts like these, people will come up with other explanations for what happened other than racism. "I shopped at a completely different Costco, at a completely different time, and I am white, and they checked my cart, so there's no possible way that what you saw was racism." Wake up, people. There may be another explanation, it's possible, but often, the simplest explanation is the right one. I also say kudos to you for noticing and being bothered. Probably most of these other Costco shoppers posting would not have noticed such an imbalance.

Yes, a bit like Occam's razor.

[Anonymous]

OP again.

I love how the anti-racism posters keep quoting me as saying this happened to "a black family." CAN YOU NOT READ?

This happened to EVERY BLACK PERSON!!! Versus EVERY WHITE PERSON! Checked by two door monitors. I'm talking about a stream of at least 15 separate shopping carts, people. I'm not talking about my family versus one other family. How dumb do you think I am?

[Anonymous]

OP, I understand your frustration, but e-yelling at the willful ignorance on DCUM will only feed your despair about the human race. Please write to Costco with details and threaten to put your money where your feelings are: don't shop there if you feel uncomfortable with their policies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again.

I love how the anti-racism posters keep quoting me as saying this happened to "a black family." CAN YOU NOT READ?

This happened to EVERY BLACK PERSON!!! Versus EVERY WHITE PERSON! Checked by two door monitors. I'm talking about a stream of at least 15 separate shopping carts, people. I'm not talking about my family versus one other family. How dumb do you think I am?

OP, now you're going to be called a troll that is making things up because you're "changing your story". That's how this DCUM game works. Try not to get too upset about it.

--- a pp who thinks it's awesome that you noticed this and then posted it, but thinks it's sad that so many are so quick to dismiss it as not racism.

[Anonymous]

just as there are many to dismiss it as not racism, there are many to quickly jump on the racism bandwagon.

frankly, we won't ever know The Truth, and unfortunately even one person's personal random sampling of 15 carts isn't enough to establish a Truth.

[Anonymous]

OP,
Go back with a cell phone, videotape it and put it on YouTube. That's what I would do. I am white and I am outraged. I have not read all the posts, ignore the fools.

14:23 One person's EXPERIENCE and WITNESSING this is serious stuff. Treating ONE person differently because of race is racism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:just as there are many to dismiss it as not racism, there are many to quickly jump on the racism bandwagon.

frankly, we won't ever know The Truth, and unfortunately even one person's personal random sampling of 15 carts isn't enough to establish a Truth.

Exactly! OP, if you're really bothered by this, complain to Costco. Or, use your phone to take a video. Posting a random experience on a message board serves no purpose. Were you just trying to vent?

Allegations and e-yelling at people online who take your story with a grain of salt doesn't end racism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:just as there are many to dismiss it as not racism, there are many to quickly jump on the racism bandwagon.

frankly, we won't ever know The Truth, and unfortunately even one person's personal random sampling of 15 carts isn't enough to establish a Truth.

I can only speak for myself, but maybe I am "quick to jump on the racism bandwagon" not because I want to believe that all such incidents are the result of racism, but rather because in the 30+ years I have lived as a black woman on this planet I have personally experienced or had close friends/family personally experience so many incidents of questionable circumstances that I do tend to think, when presented with the situation as described, that racism had at least something to do with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:


You're right. My bad. I'm just looking for racism, and apparently the fact that my husband arrived at the same conclusion about what was going on was pure coincidence. Shame on us for impugning this fine institution.

It's PG count, most of the shoppers are black. That store would never close if they had to check every black person to the degree you describe. There was probably a reason, not necessarily racism, that you were not privy too. Just because the family you spoke to seemed nice and honest, doesn't mean they are.

OP, give me a break. If you don't think Costco is a 'fine institution' then don't shop there.

There are tons of black people who shop at Costco. If they had to check every single black person's cart in detail, they'd be there forever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:just as there are many to dismiss it as not racism, there are many to quickly jump on the racism bandwagon.

frankly, we won't ever know The Truth, and unfortunately even one person's personal random sampling of 15 carts isn't enough to establish a Truth.

I can only speak for myself, but maybe I am "quick to jump on the racism bandwagon" not because I want to believe that all such incidents are the result of racism, but rather because in the 30+ years I have lived as a black woman on this planet I have personally experienced or had close friends/family personally experience so many incidents of questionable circumstances that I do tend to think, when presented with the situation as described, that racism had at least something to do with it.

I think some people really do want to believe that racism is the cause of all their problems.

Just look at this thread, and the woman who posted that she thinks it's racism that she gets asked if she works somewhere every time she's at a store. Followed by numerous posts from other races saying they get the same treatment.

By assuming that every bad thing that happens to you is racism, you're allowing yourself to become a victim and not giving other people the benefit of the doubt. And, if you scream "Racist! Racist!" too many times, people just start to ignore you.

[Anonymous]

It's incredible the number of people who refuse to believe that this incident happened as reported -- because it just couldn't have!! It just couldn't have been racism! And it's not as if the allegation is so unbelievable --- that a black person was refused service, or the n-word was used...the allegation made here is about a subtle form of racism that is quite believable.

Is it the DCUM snideness and snark at work? The usual DCUM troll-labelling and "I call bullshit" that goes on? Or are people just refusing to allow that it might have been a racist event? I'm curious what's at work here -- are people just being the DCUM skeptics that you are? Or do you really and truly not believe that this happened?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's incredible the number of people who refuse to believe that this incident happened as reported -- because it just couldn't have!! It just couldn't have been racism! And it's not as if the allegation is so unbelievable --- that a black person was refused service, or the n-word was used...the allegation made here is about a subtle form of racism that is quite believable.

Is it the DCUM snideness and snark at work? The usual DCUM troll-labelling and "I call bullshit" that goes on? Or are people just refusing to allow that it might have been a racist event? I'm curious what's at work here -- are people just being the DCUM skeptics that you are? Or do you really and truly not believe that this happened?

It's possible it happened. It's also possible that there was something else at play here that OP is unaware of. I definitely believe that racism exist, as I have been a victim of it myself. However, unless you know the whole story, it's impossible to come to a conclusion.

Therefore, I find the outrage and cries of 'racism is EVERYWHERE!!' annoying. One incident by an anonymous poster at Costco, and suddenly Costco is an evil racist company? I don't think so.

[Anonymous]

OP,

I've been the minority in my job for many years - often pointed out by AA and hispanic students.

I am so glad that although my students will tease me about it, there is no tension. And despite the fact that there's still a racial divide in our urban schools, it becomes smaller and smaller each year b/c this generation doesn't find the need to create these superficial boundaries.

So from my perspective there's hope for the future. You many not see it, but I do.

Rather than complain over this forum, do something. Your anger and resentment doesn't move anyone forward.

[Anonymous]

Oh - and let me correct this before the Grammar Police decide to mark me as a target.

Anonymous wrote:OP,

I've been the minority in my job for many years - often pointed out by AA and hispanic students.

I am so glad that although my students will tease me about it, there is no tension. And despite the fact that there's still a racial divide in our urban schools, it becomes smaller and smaller each year b/c this generation doesn't find the need to create these superficial boundaries.

So from my perspective there's hope for the future. You many not see it, but I do.

Rather than complain over this forum, do something. Your anger and resentment doesn't - DON'T - move anyone forward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I think some people really do want to believe that racism is the cause of all their problems.

Just look at this thread, and the woman who posted that she thinks it's racism that she gets asked if she works somewhere every time she's at a store. Followed by numerous posts from other races saying they get the same treatment.

By assuming that every bad thing that happens to you is racism, you're allowing yourself to become a victim and not giving other people the benefit of the doubt. And, if you scream "Racist! Racist!" too many times, people just start to ignore you.

Wow. This is why I don't discuss race or politics in-person with anyone but my husband.

It'd be a shame to find out the people I interact with every day are as idiotic as you are.

WRT the black woman who posted that fellow shoppers always assume she's a worker and that she thinks it might be racially motivated- how does the fact that white women says it happen to them as well negate the fact that race may be a contributing factor? Race is part of your physical appearance, so why is it not possible that race and/or some combination of gender, clothing type, etc. are what causes people to make these assumptions?